Boarding Schools For S.A. Pupils

Press, Volume C, Issue 29509, 10 May 1961, Page 2

Boarding Schools For S.A. Pupils

White South African sons and daughters of farmers in isolated small districts do not know the meaning of correspondence lessons. Each week they travel into the nearest city to a Government boarding school and spend five days living in a modern hostel with their classmates. Mrs Norman Forward, formerly of Bredasdorp, South Africa, described this system of education in Christchurch last evening.

"The children start boarding at the age of six years and a half,” she said, "and the schools continue to accept them as weekly boarders up to standard six. After that they board for the whole term, just as boarders do here.” Parents provided their children with school uniforms and paid a small fee for their board. For day pupils the schooling was free. This system had replaced one where children went to one of the farms in the district as day pupils and were taught by Government teachers, she said. Most parents went into the cities to collect their children on Friday afternoons. This was the time when country women got together and the largest women's organisation. the Women’s Agricultural Society, held its meetings. Similar to C.W.I. "Farmers' wives are very interested in this Society.” said Mrs Forward, “ft is run on very similar lines to your Country Women’s institute. All sorts of handcrafts are taught and members bear speakers and watch, demonstrations on floral art and other subjects.” Mrs Forward, herself, has not had the opportunity to Join this organisation as she has beep fully engaged in helping her husband with his business by dding secretarial work. The couple are. however, members of the Australia and New Zealand Association of Cape Town “This is an association for Australians and New Zealanders living in South Africa. Its main object is to entertain visitors to our country from overseas and though only persons born in those two countries may join.

wives and husbands are included in al! activities’’ Anzac Day Anzac Day was observed by the association with a ceremony in the morning and a function in the evening, said Mrs Forward. This year the Australian High Commissioner in South Africa had held a cocktail party at his home. Many visitors have been pleasantly surprised at the extent of the hospitality afforded them by the organisation. An instance mentioned by Mr Forward concerned an Australian traveller who fell and broke her leg when she left her ship to go sightseeing in Cape Town. A member of the association heard of her plight and the woman was sent flowers and messages and received members as visitors when she was in hospital. Till then she had not known anyone in the country at all. “We often have picnics and parties at the homes of members as well as our monthly meetings." said Mr Forward Mr and Mrs Forward are spending two weeks in New Zealand before they leave for Perth. Western Australia, where they will spend two months visiting Mr Forward’s family.